Welcome to
Betamaxcollecters.com. This site takes a look back on NTSC video history,
the first home video recorders to ever hit the market. The Sony Betamax.
Beta was the format that started it all. The format was introduced May, 10 1975
by Sony in a console with a built in Sony Trinitron television. Sony's second model was a stand
alone VCR. Soon after Toshiba, Sanyo, and a few other manufacturers soon
produced there own line of Beta VCRS. Sanyo known as the Betacord VCRS. Zenith,
Realistic, Sears also had there clones of the Sanyo and Sony Betamax VCR.
Zenith called there Sony clones, The Video Director. The next year after
Beta was introduced, in 1976 was when JVC introduced VHS. Throughout the
late 70s up to the late 1980s was the Betamax Vs VHS battle. It was a long
battle. 1984 was the year the sales of Beta VCRS were the highest. By 1986,
VHS sales were well over the Beta format. That was the time when people knew
Beta was going to die.1988 was the year Sony put out there first line of VHS
VCRS. Sony continued to produce Beta VCRS up until 1993. Unfortunately
Beta lost due to shorter tape hours, Beta cassettes are a bit smaller than VHS
cassettes, VHS cassettes could spool more tape, which means more tape time.
Consumers were
after VHS due to longer tape recording time. The 1970s and early 1980s were
the times when both formats loaded the cassettes on the top. It wasn't until
1981 when Sony introduced the first front loading machine, and 1983 the
first Hi-Fi machine ever. VHS soon copied. Now we are in the days of DVD. VHS the longest going
format is now pretty much obsolete.